Printable 3D Stars Garland

Have fun decorating your summer scenes with these printable stars. They are very quick and easy to make, and would add the perfect touch to the top of a hutch or along the front of a table. A garland isn't the only way to use these festive stars. They may also be hung individually with ribbon, or glued to tiny wires and placed in buckets for display. Have fun thinking of the possibilities for your mini scenes!

Download the PDF and use your printer's highest quality setting. For best results, you may wish to use a premium, lightweight, matte paper (not photo paper).

Please note that this printable has been shared for your personal use only.

Folding the stars:
1. Using your hobby knife, score the back sides of the stars. Score from each of the 5 points to the opposite sides.

2. Fold the stars on the score lines with your tweezers. Make crisp creases.

3. Fold the scores in between the points the opposite direction (toward the front of the star).

4. To create a garland, bend a piece of wire and glue the stars along the wire.

Finding Some Findings

You know that feeling of stumbling upon someone else's junk, and thinking that you've found the equivalent of the recipe to Godiva Chocolate. Your spine tingles, your heart rate quickens, your breath shortens and all you can think is, "I didn't look through that box yet"! Meanwhile, everyone else thinks that you're crazy to dig through boxes and boxes of...well... old junk.

That's what I did at the local bead show. It was too much fun to find each of these treasures buried under garish costume jewelry! My head is spinning with the possibilites they offer in miniature!

A portion of my new treasures.

A New Book for Making Polymer Clay Foods

I am excited about a new book from Oiseau deNim, called, Miniatures en pate polymére (de retour du marché) / Polymer Clay Miniatures (return from the market). It's a great technique book and it's chock full of photos! I think that the release of this book has not been given enough attention here in the U.S.

The instructions to make a large range of market foods are provided in clear, step-by-step photos and text. Yes, it is French text. However, each step is clearly photographed in a way that makes me feel comfortable to try any of the lovely "recipes" even though I don't speak French! The author, Peiwen Petitgrand of Oiseau deNim, is a skilled miniature food artisan and a wonderful teacher. She has given several classes on CDHM and teaches workshops.

Peiwen provides polymer clay techniques for beginners (like me) as well as methods that would appeal to more advanced food artists. The chapters include: an introduction to FIMO, materials and tools, general techniques, advanced techniques (caning and shading of colors), instructions for making 23 different foods (listed below), and some surprise tips for putting the finishing touches on your miniature food scenes.

She teaches how to make:

• string beans
• eggs
• eggplants
• lemons
• tomatoes
• artichokes (oh-so lovely!)
• asparagus
• kiwis
• ground beef
• pork roast
• carrots
• mushrooms
• bell peppers
• cauliflower 
• pears
• apples
• peaches
• grapes
• persimmons
• clementines
• cucumbers
• squash (several varieties)
• chestnuts

The book is FULL of photos showing how to do every step. It's my new polymer clay bible!

If you would like to purchase the book outside of France, contact Peiwen via the Oiseau deNim blog or through her Etsy shop.